Extracurricular Reading
＼Text C＼
Signs Social Media Is Ruining Teen Friendships
Sherri Gordon
When it comes to social media，there are a number of____1__aspects．For instance，teens can keep up with friends who move away and make connections with others who have similar interests．They can even leverage social media to build a positive online reputation—one that colleges and prospective employers find____2__．
But there are some negative aspects of social media．For instance，social media can also put negative pressure on friendships，especially when one friend is very____3__about posting pictures，status updates and opinions that hurt others．Here are three ways to tell if social media is hurting your teen’s friendships．
Your Teen Feels Left Out
When a friend posts pictures of parties，coffee dates and other social events that your child was not invited to，this can cause a lot of hurt and pain．Not only does your child feel left out，but she also may wonder why she wasn’t____4__．Sometimes teens post pictures of these events without even thinking that someone else might be hurt by them．Remind your teen that it is normal to not be invited to everything．It’s nothing personal，and if she was left out it doesn’t necessarily mean that her friend was being____5__．
Your Teen Would Rather Communicate Online
Most teens today would prefer to text their friends rather than have a conversation．Additionally，they are less likely to spend time together if they can communicate online．Remind your teen that nothing replaces face-to-face contact with a friend．
What’s more，some friends prefer in-person conversations．Too much time communicating online does not create a healthy friendship．Encourage your teen to take time for her friends，to reach out and spend time together．
Ideally，your teen should_____6___her methods of communication．While texting，liking posts，and messaging are useful，make sure your teen is also putting some effort into her friendships．
Your Teen’s Friends Post Inappropriate Content(https://www.daowen.com)
If your teen has a friend that posts____7__comments，engages in rumors and____8__or is making strange comments online，this can put a strain on the friendship．Be sure your teen knows that she should never like or comment on a friend’s inappropriate content．
Instead，encourage your teen to gently remind her friend that these types of posts can ruin her online____9__．What’s more，your teen should be honest about how the posts make her feel．Challenge her to think about whether or not this friend is the type of person she wants to spend a lot of time with．If they do not have the same values，then eventually the friendship will become___10___．
（444 words）
＼Banked Cloze＼
Directions：Read the above passage through carefully and select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in the following word bank．
＼Further Reflection on Reading＼
Directions：Think about and answer the following questions．
1．After you read the above three passages，what new ideas do you have about friendship？
2．Do you agree on the idea“you must be a better self，then you can become a better friend”？
3．What do you think of the social media that influence your friendship and your attitude towards friendship？